


Escape

by chasingcarousels



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: M/M, Non AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-13
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-08-14 20:12:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8027425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chasingcarousels/pseuds/chasingcarousels
Summary: Deafening screams, an ocean of twinkling lights, and the blinding spotlight—all these Yoon Jeonghan left behind for that one thing he has long been praying for.





	1. Chapter 1

“He’s not here!”

Seungcheol barely had an hour of sleep when Mingyu’s booming voice cut his precious dreams. With eyes still closed tight, he followed where the younger one’s voice came from, but he didn’t have to search far for within seconds, he could feel huge hands holding his shoulders.

“Hyung, he’s not here!” Mingyu asserted in a loud voice while shaking Seungcheol awake.

“What do you mean ‘he’s not here’?” Seungcheol grumbled, pushing Mingyu away with as much force as his half-asleep self can exert. “Jeez, Mingyu. The sun’s not even up yet. Let me sleep!”

It was only a few minutes past 4 A.M when Mingyu came barging in his room. Seungcheol arrived at the dorm he shared with three other members—Mingyu included—at around 3 A.M. He had stayed up late at the company, writing lyrics for their new songs to be released a month later for their 10th anniversary concert.

Everyone was busy preparing for ‘Shining Diamonds: 10 Years with Carats’. Jihoon, one of the hottest and highest-paid producers in South Korea, had made lots of new compositions like he always had since they debuted. Soonyoung, the co-owner of a dance academy with Chan, had already made new choreographies with the other Performance Unit members Chan, Junhui, and Minghao. The Hiphop Unit members, the unit who just released another mini album, all made their own self-composed songs for the concert. Jeonghan and Joshua had prepared a duet which they also composed themselves, and Seungkwan and Seokmin, who are not only famous singers but also famous comedians and DJs of their own radio show ‘Castella’, even prepared a musical skit to entertain their fans.

It was a grand concert, they said. Everybody was excited. Most of the fans, who have grown with Seventeen and have families now, already filed for their leave of absence at their companies and were set on having various fan projects to show their love for their idols. A lot of fans were said to be flying from all around the world to attend the 3-day concert series. The media were also fighting for press passes since getting one for Seventeen’s concerts became a messy battle ever since they reached the peak of their popularity at their 5th year with their title song ‘Together’, which topped charts all around the world.

Seungcheol heard Mingyu groan, and before he could push him away again, the younger had already dragged him off his bed, not minding the curses Seungcheol spat at him. With a loud thud, Mingyu dropped him on the cold floor of the living room. Seungcheol rubbed his eyes; the sudden shift from the dark room to the brightly-lit room was hurting his eyes. When he could finally see properly, he looked up and saw Mingyu towering over him with his arms crossed and his expression a mix of what Seungcheol thought of as gloom and fear.

“What on earth is your problem? Can’t you see that it’s still dark outside? This is a human rights violation! I deserve a good night’s rest, too, you know,” Seungcheol whined.

Mingyu ignored him.

“Hyung,” Mingyu said, his voice soft but firm. “I told you he’s not here.”

“Who? Tell me who’s this important missing person who made you literally drag me from my bed at such an ungodly hour! He better be imp-”

“Jeonghan hyung,” Mingyu blurted out, cutting him off. “He’s not here.”

Seungcheol raised his eyebrows at him, trying to process what the younger one had said.

“Don’t be overdramatic, Mingyu,” Seungcheol scoffed. He rose up from the floor and went to the kitchen to drink some water. “He must be sleeping in the other rooms and you just didn’t look hard enough, or maybe he’s out with his friends, or at the company, still practicing. You’re lucky I’m not in the mood to fight you right now. I’m tired. I just want to go back to bed.”

Seungcheol proceeded to drink his water. Quite frankly, he didn’t think much of Jeonghan’s absence. This wasn’t the first time he didn’t come home, anyway, he thought. Besides, he’s already 29 years old. What’s the point of panicking over a grown-up not coming home one night? He didn’t understand Mingyu, but that’s not surprising. Mingyu tended to be unpredictable and overdramatic from time to time. Maybe tonight was one of those nights.

“If you don’t have anything more to say, I’m going back to sleep. We still have practice at 2 P.M.,” the older boy said, making his way back to his room. “I swear if you wake me up earlier than 12 P.M.-”

“Hyung, you don’t understand,” Mingyu choked, almost inaudible. He plopped on the floor and held his head in his hands. Seungcheol then heard muffled noises coming from the younger one, stopping him from walking further. His shoulders were shaking.

“M-Mingyu,” he murmured as he turned around to face him. “Are you crying?”

Seungcheol froze at the door of his bedroom. He’s not good with comforting people. He could listen and give advices, sure, but when he’s faced with a crying person—and a huge, grown-up man at that—he becomes helpless and weak.

He’s not usually the one that does the comforting whenever someone is upset. The members don’t usually approach him for that stuff, except for Jihoon and Seungkwan, maybe. The younger ones always go to Jeonghan, but now Jeonghan’s not around, and that’s the exact reason why Mingyu was left in a sobbing mess in front of him.

With heavy steps, Seungcheol slowly approached the younger boy. He fought the urge to tear up as well. He was biting his lip like he always does when he’s anxious. Mingyu’s shoulders were already shaking hard by now and his hands were wet with his own tears.

“Mingyu, maybe you’re just tired or stressed out,” Seungcheol said, standing awkwardly a feet away from him. “What’s the big deal anyway? He ain’t dead yet. He’s just not home.”

“Don’t joke like that. You don’t know that,” Mingyu muttered between sobs.

“What? What do you mean I don’t know?” Seungcheol replied, confusion evident in his hoarse voice.

At this, Mingyu looked up at him, his face all wet and his eyes reddened by his own tears. His usual soft, sparkling eyes were now replaced by dark orbs full of anger or disgust, Seungcheol couldn’t quite pinpoint which it was.

“If you weren’t so preoccupied with others and spent more time with us instead, maybe you would have noticed,” Mingyu said between gritted teeth. He spat the word others like it was toxic.

He then stood up, so that he towered above Seungcheol. He closed the gap between them, looking down at his hyung with his dark eyes that carried his heavy emotions. “But that doesn’t matter now. What matters is that we find Jeonghan hyung and fast.”

Seungcheol couldn’t find the words to say to him. He was taken aback by Mingyu’s unusual behavior. That wasn’t the Mingyu he grew up with. Mingyu has always been bubbly and happy. He was one of the moodmakers of the group. He couldn’t even remember when the last time he saw Mingyu cry was, but even then, he never saw Mingyu cry because of anger. He only cried because he missed his family, was too happy, or laughed too much. Was he angry, though? Seungcheol wasn’t sure. He took in deep breaths and tried to understand Mingyu even if he was utterly confused. It’s not like he had any other choice. He’s the older one and it is his job to try to understand the younger ones even if he finds it hard to do.

“Okay,” Seungcheol finally said after what felt like forever. “Let’s calm down, okay? Tell me what happened.”

Mingyu tried to stabilize his breathing. He cried his last few tears and wiped them away with his hand. His shirt was already blotched with tears and god-knows-what. After a few moments of trying to calm himself down, he finally spoke.

“He tweeted over an hour ago,” he said, grabbing his phone from his pocket with a shaking hand and gave it to Seungcheol to see.

It hasn’t been long since Jeonghan opened a Twitter account. It has only been 3 months or so when he decided that his fans needed to “be blessed by his beauty on a daily basis”. That’s what he said. That’s why he uploaded photos of himself every single day.

He loved reading the compliments the fans left for him, telling him how beautiful his face was, how manly he moves, or how his voice soothes them. He also enjoyed the memes and derp pictures they sent daily and used them to make fun of the others. It was always a fun time when he used them to tease Seungkwan who was always sensitive when it came to his unflattering photos.

Seungcheol didn’t have the slightest idea what to expect, but he took Mingyu’s phone from his hand anyway and typed in Jeonghan’s username on the application. Because he didn’t have time to put on his contacts, Seungcheol squinted his eyes to read the words written in solid black.

“ **I quit.** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the setting is in April 2025, which you’ve probably figured out by now. Sorry for the extra short chapter. This is just to get the story started. Obviously haha I’m not really a writer, so feedback (comments, suggestions, or violent reactions) are highly appreciated! Your comments will also determine how fast I can update hehe till the next update! Bye x


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deafening screams, an ocean of twinkling lights, and the blinding spotlight—all these Yoon Jeonghan left behind for that one thing he has long been praying for.

The reporters from every news outlet in the country were having a field day after the controversial tweet of Yoon Jeonghan, one of the hottest K-pop idols of his generation, got posted online. The news portals were filled with Jeonghan’s pictures and screenshots of his tweet with headlines that read: “Seventeen to perform as 12?” “Boyband Seventeen disbanding” “Yoon Jeonghan leaves boyband Seventeen” and “Yoon Jeonghan is quitting” among hundreds of other headlines flooding the front pages.

Since the break of dawn, a huge mass of reporters have flocked at the entrance of the Pledis building in hopes of getting something out of the staff or the other members. This pushed the management to give out a memo to its staff and artists to use the back door.

At 8 A.M., the staff, managers, and the remaining twelve members were called for an urgent meeting by the CEO of Pledis Entertainment Mr. Han Sungsoo. Everyone knew this was coming. Despite being in a state of shock themselves, everyone was preparing for the worst scolding they’ll ever get.

“Speak,” the CEO demanded in a cold tone, breaking the deafening silence enveloping the room. Seungcheol’s heart jumped at the sound of his voice.

“I-I,” he stuttered before clearing his voice to hide his nervousness, “I’m sorry. I’m equally as clueless as everyone else is.”

The CEO shot him an ice cold glare, sending shivers down Seungcheol’s spine. His eyes spoke volumes. Seungcheol knew he was in for an embarrassing scolding in front of everyone in the room. He thought he deserved it, though. Which leader doesn’t even know where his co-member is? Which friend doesn’t even have an idea what happened to his friend? What kind of friend—no, brother—does that make him?

The members, all tensed up, had their heads hung low. Even the managers didn’t dare say a single word. They were all ready to take in all the curses their CEO would throw at them when a soft voice was finally heard.

“He may have hinted me about this around 3 months ago,” Joshua confessed, his lips quivering. His eyes had lost their spark. Everyone’s had.

“What do you mean he gave you a hint?” the CEO hissed.

“H-He,” Joshua answered, ignoring the fast beating of his heart, “he said he didn’t want this life anymore. I didn’t understand him then. I didn’t know what he meant by this life. He said it out of the blue when we were talking about the old times at the roof deck. We were drinking, so I thought he was just tipsy or something.”

“You call that a hint?” The CEO shouted at him, slamming his fist on the table. “You’re telling me that he said he wanted to quit and you didn’t understand? And you didn’t even think of telling anyone? Your 10th anniversary concert’s in a month for crying out loud!”

Everyone in the room froze at the sound of his voice. He was shaking in anger and his eyes were boring holes into Joshua, but everyone knew he had every right to be mad.

With only a month left to their anniversary concert, they couldn’t risk wasting time changing the choreography, recording all over again, and re-arranging the songs. Even the usually calm Jihoon almost lost it when he knew about the tweet after being bombarded with questions by reporters as he arrived at the company. He obviously didn’t get to read the memo about passing through the back door.

Their media partners also threatened to cancel their contracts if the issue won’t be fixed, telling the company that the issue it will taint their reputation. The CEO assured the staff that they won’t back out; it was just their ploy so they could demand more from the company. Still, everyone’s on their toes.

Minghao suggested they cancel the concert, but they couldn’t even do that because they’d have to deal with the refunds, and everyone knows that would be a mess. They’ve already spent billions of won on the concert, too, since it was said to be one of the grandest concerts of all. Pledis couldn’t suffer such a huge loss just because a member refused to join, or has gone missing.

“You have a week to bring him back,” CEO Han said before exiting the conference room, “but don’t wait for him. I don’t think he has plans on coming back.”

“But he will,” Seungcheol objected, his voice firm.

Everyone turned to him, shocked that he had the courage to speak. He himself got shocked by his own voice. He didn’t know where the courage came from. It just felt natural for him to speak up and defend his friend at that moment.

“What makes you so sure of that?” the CEO challenged. Seungcheol noticed that his eyes were shaking, but he didn’t want to point it out.

“I-I just know that he’ll come back,” he added, “Jeonghan won’t leave us this easily. I know him.”

Mingyu scoffed beside him, but Seungcheol didn’t notice. The CEO left the room without saying another word. He just stood up and left, leaving everyone trying to sort out their emotions.

The already-cold atmosphere in the room became colder after their exchange even though there were more than 20 people inside the small conference room. Everybody was in a state of confusion. At some point during the talk, Chan had started to cry. Hansol who was beside him had been comforting him while also holding back his tears. All of them were already grown-ups but the magnitude of the situation shook them enough to break their barriers.

“How could he do this? He could have told us. He’s being selfish. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself,” their newest manager accused.

“Don’t talk about Jeonghan like that!” Seungcheol fumed, glaring at the manager, his voice startling everyone. “You don’t know him.”

“Hey.” Hansol sighed. “Let’s not fight amongst ourselves here. How about let’s just help each other and find Jeonghan hyung so it’ll be faster?”

“Hansol’s right,” Seungkwan agreed. “There’s no use in fighting. We don’t know if Jeonghan hyung is okay right now. We need to find him fast and we all need to work together to be able to do that.”

“I agree,” Seokmin added. “Does anybody have an idea where he might be?”

“His favorite places might be a start,” Junhui suggested. “Seungcheol hyung, Joshua hyung, you two know him best among all of us. Maybe he mentioned some places he has been to before, too.”

“Joshua, sure, but Seungcheol? I doubt it,” Mingyu muttered under his breath. Wonwoo nudged him beneath the table, making him cry out in pain. Nobody seemed to catch his words except Wonwoo, though.

“The karaoke bar down the street?” Seungcheol asked.

“Nice try, but I’ve called them earlier and he’s not there,” Mingyu replied as he rolled his eyes.

“What about his sister’s apartment? That’s not far from here. Maybe he slept there,” Seungcheol suggested again.

“You know, genius, if I haven’t called all the obvious places he might be at yet, we wouldn’t be here,” Mingyu deadpanned.

He was right. Mingyu had already called all the obvious places Jeonghan might be at after he cried his eyes out in front of Seungcheol that morning. He even tried tracking Jeonghan’s phone with Wonwoo but it was all to no avail.

Jeonghan left no footprints at all.

“Hey, watch it.” Seungcheol glared at Mingyu. “When are you going to stop talking like that to me? I’m trying to be patient with you because I know you are devastated, but I am, too, so if you stop being a pain in the ass then maybe we-”

“Stop, stop, stop!” Chan cut Seungcheol off, his voice louder than they’ve ever heard since they’ve known him. Everyone got startled and turned their attention on him.

After wiping his tears with his sleeve, he stood up and said, “Let’s all split up. Rack your brains and call or go to all the places he may be at. Think about where he could be. Maybe he mentioned it before and you just forgot. Please don’t fight.” He paused to stop his tears from falling down again. “Time’s not on our side here. We don’t know if he’s okay where he’s at right now. I just want him back safe.”

After saying those words, Chan let his tears flow in front of everyone. His knees gave in and Hansol caught him in his arms in time and patted his back, while the rest shared glances then proceeded to leave, following the instructions of the youngest one.

The managers went in pairs and went ahead of the others. They also tried to get rid of the reporters on their way out so the members won’t get squeezed when they leave. Apparently, they’ve infiltrated the back door, too. The police were on their way to control the crowd.

The members decided to go in pairs, too, with Jihoon and Soonyoung, Chan and Hansol, Seokmin and Seungkwan, Wonwoo and Joshua, Junhui and Minghao, and Mingyu and Seungcheol together.

Mingyu hated being paired up with Seungcheol due to reasons unknown to the latter, but he had no choice because after he stayed too long in the bathroom, nobody else was left behind except for Seungcheol. He could only sigh at his wonderful luck.

Mingyu was one of the closest members to the eldest of the group, so the reason as to why he hated being around him so much ever since Jeonghan disappeared is beyond everyone’s knowledge. He made it obvious to everyone that he despised everything about their leader. Nobody questioned it, though, as they were all preoccupied with the issue at hand—that Jeonghan tweeted that he’s quitting and now he’s nowhere to be found.

Within minutes from his tweet getting posted, the hashtags “JeonghanComeBack” and “WeLoveYouYoonJeonghan” had trended worldwide. The Carats, their fans, had been frantic, posting about all their guesses and conspiracy theories on what might have happened. However, everyone had no knowledge that Jeonghan had gone missing and that even the members and the staff are oblivious of his whereabouts.

The haters enjoyed the chaos. An anti-Seventeen group even threw a party as soon as the news broke out, celebrating his departure. He was called names, too. He was called a liar, a user, and a traitor among many other disgusting names. The members agreed not to go on any sites unless it was urgent or necessary in their search for Jeonghan.

Mingyu drove his car to begin their search, with Seungcheol riding shotgun. They did not speak a single word to each other except for the older one’s instructions on where to go next. They checked all the places Jeonghan frequented but it was all to no avail. They tried contacting him again, even though they knew it must be turned off, in hopes that maybe one call would go through, but his phone cannot be reached. Even his family was clueless on where he was.

They decided to stop by their house when they were in the neighborhood, hoping to find Jeonghan there, but alas, he was not. It was such an obvious location for Jeonghan to hide at, anyway, since Seungcheol knew the way to their house by heart.

His mother was bawling when Seungcheol informed her of the situation, and he couldn’t help but choke up with tears while talking to her. His heart broke, seeing Jeonghan’s mother crying, while telling him to find her son over and over again. Seungcheol’s shirt got soaked with her tears in no time but he couldn’t care less. He felt as devastated as she was, if not more.

Seungcheol and Joshua had been close to Jeonghan’s family ever since they became friends. Jeonghan’s parents treated them like their own, since their own parents couldn’t visit them in Seoul as often as they could visit their son. There were instances when Jeonghan’s parents visited them even when their son wasn’t around. Even Jeonghan’s younger sister considered Seungcheol and Joshua as her own brothers already. That was how close the two were to the Yoon family.

“It’s so unlike him.” Mrs. Yoon bawled. “He would never go missing like this without telling me. Something must have gone wrong, but he never told me anything about it.”

After assuring Jeonghan’s mother that they will try their best to find her son, Seungcheol and Mingyu bid their goodbyes to continue their search. On their way out, the older one felt somebody tug on his shirt. As he turned around, a pair of eyes met his—Jeonghan’s sister’s eyes which became all red from crying. Seungcheol nodded at Mingyu as a way of saying he’d follow him after having a talk with her.

“I’m so sorry this had to happen,” Seungcheol said as he pulled her into a hug, “I didn’t take care of your brother enough. This wouldn’t have happened if I-“

“It’s not your fault,” she said, looking up at him. “I know he won’t like it if you’re being overly dramatic like that. He would have pushed you and rolled his eyes at you already for being too emotional.”

Seungcheol let a smile creep onto his face. He broke away from the hug and held her hands in his.

“Still,” he continued, “I feel sorry for everything.”

“I know. You’re only human, after all. It’s okay to not know some things sometimes. It’s okay to be clueless, but sometimes they lead to things that we may regret. Then it’s up to us if we’ll choose to know or choose to stay in the dark.”

“I don’t quite understand what you’re getting at,” Seungcheol admitted, “what do I not know?”

“Well, maybe you do know,” she replied, “but that doesn’t matter now. I need to tell you something but promise me you won’t tell anyone else.”

“Okay,” he agreed, holding his pinky finger out, “I promise.”

They intertwined their pinky fingers and did their handshake to seal the contract. Jeonghan found the handshake they made for themselves absurd but the two of them loved teasing him with it.

“He sent me a message last night,” she confessed.

“What? What did he say? Where is he?” Seungcheol piped. He couldn’t contain his emotions.

“Shush,” she said, slapping a hand over his mouth. “Mom will hear you! We have a contract! Nobody can know anything about this.”

“Okay, okay,” he agreed, removing her hand from his face, “tell me.”

“I don’t know if it will be of much help, but he sent me this,” she said as she reached under her pocket to grab her phone and show the message her brother had sent her.

 

> _Don’t go online tomorrow. Remove the router so mom can’t, too. Tomorrow will be crazy, but don’t get caught up with your emotions. I will be okay. I won’t be far away, so don’t try anything weird and stupid, and just go to class like usual. Or not. You can stay home if mom tells you to, which I know she will. I will explain everything to you the day after tomorrow. I will be at the place where you fell face first in front of your crush hahaha I’ll wait there after your class ends. Don’t tell anyone! Love you!_

“Typical Yoon Jeonghan still making fun of others even during serious situations,” Seungcheol scoffed. “Why did you show me this?”

“Well,” she hesitated as she bit her lip, “I know you fought last week. I thought maybe he ran away because of you.”

“Wait. You knew we fought? Did he tell you?” Seungcheol interrogated.

Nobody was supposed to know they did. It was only the two of them in the basement when their argument happened. Jeonghan had been drinking when he arrived at the company. He was supposed to practice his song with Seungcheol, but he arrived late and he was reeking of alcohol.

It would be the first time they’ll be having an official duet in front of their fans. They agreed on singing It’s Love by Mose, the song they’ve always sung together at the karaoke. It was their song; that’s why Seungcheol was extra nervous that they’ll be singing the full song at their concert in front of thousands of fans for the first time. Jeonghan didn’t seem to care, Seungcheol thought.

Needless to say, they found themselves in a heated argument. Seungcheol hated the younger one’s indifference. Jeonghan hated how the other cared so much. Neither of them backed down. If not for the sound of footsteps coming from the stairs, they would have already punched each other. However, they agreed on not letting the others know, because even though they’re angry, they knew they can’t let it affect the others, especially with the upcoming concert. They were the eldest members, after all, and it seemed natural for them to put the whole group first before their emotions. It has always been that way.

“He didn’t tell me,” she said, breaking Seungcheol’s thoughts. “Well, technically, he didn’t. He slept here last week, and he murmured your name while he was sleeping, but it confused me because he snapped at me the next morning when I mentioned it to him. He said I shouldn’t ever mention your name to him. He seemed really angry so I didn’t question him further. You know how he is when holds grudges. I love him but he’s really a pain in the-”

“Hey!” he interjected, “watch your language, kid. Anyway, I don’t understand. After knowing that we fought, you still want me to go talk to him?”

“Of course, because you’re his best friend.” She shrugged. “He can never stand not seeing you for so long. Besides, I know only you can bring him back. He listens to you despite how stubborn he is. Even mom can’t handle him sometimes, but you can, so please bring him back to us. I know he’s going through something even though he didn’t tell me. Please take him home safely.”

“I will,” he promised. _I will bring him back home_.

A whole afternoon went by and still, there were no signs of Jeonghan. It’s so typical of him, Seungcheol thought. He has always been good at planning things. Among all 13 of them, he was the best at scheming, what with all of his successful pranks on the members which he constantly got better at through the years; that’s why Seungcheol thought that it was no surprise that Jeonghan had been hiding from all of them so well. He must have planned it for ages, and that thought made his heart ache. Jeonghan might have been planning on disappearing without a trace for ages and nobody knew or realized—not even him.

“How lonely must he be?” he thought. “How troubled must he be? Is it really because of me?”

On their way home, Seungcheol opted to drive after seeing how tired Mingyu had become. They arrived at their dorm a little over 11 P.M. The younger one was already asleep on the passenger seat, totally exhausted from all the searching they had done. Seungcheol could only sigh at the sight of Mingyu, breathing heavy breaths.

“I’m so sorry you all had to suffer like this,” he said in a hushed voice to the sleeping boy beside him, “this is entirely my fault.”

“It is.”

“I thought you were asleep!” Seungcheol complained.

“I was but your voice woke me up,” Mingyu replied as he sat in an upright position. He turned to look at Seungcheol with drooping eyes. “But yes, it is all your fault.”

“Why are you so mad at me?” Seungcheol finally asked. He has been trying to ask the question to Mingyu but he never found the right timing. It has been haunting him all day long. “Don’t leave me in the dark. I know I’ve made mistakes. I haven’t been the best leader, but I still can’t understand why you’re that mad at me. What did I do to deserve this? You were fine yesterday.”

“You’re really clueless, huh? Maybe you should think about what happened 3 months ago,” Mingyu said. In the dark, Seungcheol could still see his eyes. They weren’t angry, but they shone as if tears have been welling up in his eyes.

“3 months ago was January,” he muttered to himself. “What am I supposed to remember? Help me out here.”

Mingyu didn’t answer him. He just slowly unbuckled his seatbelt, went out of the car, and went inside the apartment he shared with Seungcheol, Jeonghan, Seungkwan, and Chan. The older boy was left in the dark yet again.

“What happened 3 months ago?”

Seungcheol tried and tried to rack his brain on what might have happened. His memory is clouded and all he could remember was when he started hanging out with Doyoon throughout most of January, catching up, bar-hopping all around the city, and going home at ungodly hours, completely wasted.

Doyoon. Bar-hopping. Going home drunk.

“Oh.”

 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

 

The music is loud, the smell of alcohol and cigarette is strong, the room is hot, and Seungcheol feels a slight buzz in his head. They’re at a high-end club in Itaewon where he’s been downing shots after shots with his best friend Doyoon by his side.

They’ve been friends for years. They started as trainees in Pledis Entertainment almost at the same time. They even went to the same high school and had the same circle of friends. They basically grew up together. They’re a combo, they said. Wherever Seungcheol is, you’ll find Doyoon there with him. They had an amazing dynamic that nobody dared question.

“Do you want to go for another round?” Doyoon whispered in his ear, teasing his friend.

“Doyoon, stop playing. I think we should go.” Seungcheol pushed him away. “I’m not feeling good.”

“Oh come one,” the other whined, tugging at Seungcheol’s sleeve. He had his signature puppy eyes and pout combo on. “Since when did The Choi Seungcheol back down for a slight buzz?”

“Since now,” he retorted. “I actually have to go back to the company. There’s—“

“You’re working this late? No way! It’s a Friday night,” he said, dragging Seungcheol by his arm to the side. He then pointed across the dance floor. “You see those girls? They’ve been looking at you since we arrived.’

“Of course,” he replied as he rolled his eyes at his friend, “they know me. I’m an artist. I’m the famous S.coups. How would they not recognize me?”

“Hmm...” Doyoon contemplated. “That’s true. But what I’m saying is that it’s too early to go home. How about we flirt with these girls for a while before we hit the sack? And you know, maybe our sacks will get hit tonight.”

Seungcheol fake vomited at him. “That’s not even witty at all, and you’re disgusting.”

Before Doyoon could hear another complaint from his friend, he dragged him across the dance floor and casually sat himself down at the ladies’ couch, Seungcheol in tow. Seungcheol sat awkwardly at the edge of the couch while Doyoon chatted away, his eyes sparkling. The girls had wide smiles plastered on their faces.

Unlike how he’s portrayed on cam, Seungcheol is awkward in front of ladies off cam. His strong, manly aura doesn’t give away the fact that he feels extremely anxious when random women approach him. Being approached by his fans is different compared to being approached by ladies in stilettos and skimpy outfits at clubs, with their eyes staring at him suggestively. It makes all the hair in his body stand on end when they touch him without caution.

Doyoon was different. He was a natural in front of ladies. He’s the cheesiest and smoothest person Seungcheol ever knew in his life. Sometimes, admittedly, he did feel envious at how Doyoon works his magic with the girls. However, Seungcheol didn’t really need to talk to have women flocking him. His looks does all the talking, but much to Doyoon’s dismay, the older one never got to bring a woman home with him; that’s why Doyoon’s so intent in bringing Seungcheol out every night to all the clubs he knew of just to get his friend laid. According to the self-proclaimed love expert Jang Doyoon, the reason why Seungcheol’s sad and tired all the time is because he hasn't been laid for ages.

While Doyoon was busy with the other girls who all look the same to Seungcheol, a girl with long, blonde locks who was sitting beside him was staring intently at him as he downed his shots. She was sitting so close to him, even, that he could already hear her breathing over the loud music. At one point, she whispered something to his ear but he didn’t bother asking what she said for, quite frankly, he had absolutely no interest in knowing whatever she said.

Before Seungcheol knew it, as an attempt of blocking the blonde girl’s whispers in his ear and distracting himself from the gross sight of Doyoon making out with another girl across the table, he had already downed too many shots that his vision had already become hazy. He felt as if he was on Viking ship ride but it was a miracle that he didn’t pass out.

He holds the title of having the highest alcohol tolerance among Seventeen, but this title did him no good that night since all he wanted was to escape reality and pass out even just for a moment. He wished he would lose consciousness, especially after seeing Doyoon’s tongue all over the random girl’s body.

Doyoon decided it was time to leave when Seungcheol began shouting things he shouldn't be saying at a public place at him. He knew that was the cue. Seungcheol tended to blurt out secrets when drunk. He becomes extremely honest and that was dangerous, especially with all the paparazzi lurking around the club, waiting for information they could use against artists. All the alarm bells in his mind started ringing, and even though he was reluctant in not finishing his make-out session with the girl he can't remember the name of, he had no choice but to call over the bouncers to help him drag the drunken Choi Seungcheol to his car.

After the struggle that involved having to bring his friend to his car and driving while trying to not get distracted by his incoherent speech diarrhea, Doyoon stopped at the front of Seungcheol’s apartment, faced with another problem of how he could bring his zombie-like friend up to the 17th floor. At that moment, he hated himself for taking him out that night, but he had no choice but to call for help. As he was dialing Mingyu’s number, leaning against his car, he smelled a familiar scent in the air. It definitely came from the man that just went past him. With the scent, the long hair, the broad shoulders, the clutch bag, and the signature Doc Martens boots, Doyoon was sure who he was.

“Jeonghan!” he shouted.

The man with the long, brown locks froze in his steps. The breeze blew his hair away as he turned around in a swift motion. He looked beautiful even under the faint light of the lamppost nearby, Doyoon thought.

“Hey,” Jeonghan replied, waving his hand. His face lit up as he recognized his friend. Doyoon swore he just found another light source. “I didn’t know it was you! I’m not wearing my contacts so my world's kind of blurry right now, sorry!”

“Nah, that’s okay,” he said as he brought Jeonghan into a hug, “I’ve missed you! You should hang out with Seungcheol and I some time. It’s been so long since we all hung out together. Bring Joshua along too!”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “It’s been so long. By the way, are you here to fetch Seungcheol? He’s not around. I don’t know where he is ‘cause his phone is turned off. We actually should have had a practice earlier but he stood me up.”

“Oh no!” Doyoon gasped. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t know he had a practice scheduled with you. I thought he was just trying to find another excuse to escape earlier. Anyway, we went out to this club, and he’s actually in my car right now, completely wasted. Good thing you arrived just in time! I need help in getting him upstairs. Can you help me?”

Jeonghan didn’t have a choice. “Sure,” he replied.

It’s no question that Seungcheol is heavy. With those thick thighs, arms, and butt, who would even think that it would be a good idea to carry him? It was indeed a total workout for both Doyoon and Jeonghan, carrying Seungcheol by his arms on either of his sides. By the time they arrived in Seungcheol’s room, they were panting and large beads of sweat were trailing down their foreheads and necks.

“That’s the most exercise I’ve ever done in years!” Jeonghan complained. Doyoon chuckled and patted him on the back.

“I know,” Doyoon replied, wiping his forehead with his sleeve. “Oh, and I hate to do this to you but I’d have to leave now. I just remembered that I forgot to lock my car!”

Before Jeonghan could hold him back, Doyoon took off into a sprint towards the door.

Jeonghan knew he was lying. He heard the car make a sound when he locked it. He knew that Doyoon just didn’t want to have to deal with a drunken Choi Seungcheol, let alone change his sweat-soaked clothes and tuck him into bed. He didn't, too, but it's not like he had any other choice.

Everyone who knows them agree that Doyoon is like Jeonghan—lazy and cunning. If Doyoon hadn’t left Pledis Entertainment to pursue his acting career, he and Jeonghan could have been the scheming duo in the group, out to let the others suffer with their pranks and embarrassing commands.

Seungcheol shifted, hugging the huge pile of plushies beside him, while Jeonghan stood limply by the edge of his bed. With a sigh, he started taking off his friend’s jacket, tossing it at the hamper after. He then proceeded to take off his shoes and socks, scrunching his face as he held them. He muttered curses under his breath as removing those items alone made him sweat bullets again. Every part of Choi Seungcheol is thick and heavy, Jeonghan thought.

“Jeonghan,” Seungcheol mumbled, “I want…”

“What?” Jeonghan asked as he was trying get Seungcheol’s arm out of his sweater’s sleeve. “Do you want water?”

“N-no…” he groaned.

Jeonghan shrugged and proceeded to remove Seungcheol’s other arm from his sweater. He then brought it over his head, exposing his pale, chiseled torso. Jeonghan tried hard not to stare at him, but the faint night light made him look like a marble statue from the Renaissance period—like Michelangelo’s David but thicker and full of life.

“Stop ogling my body,” Seungcheol mumbled. Despite the faint light, Jeonghan could see that he was smirking.

“I wasn’t,” he said in his defense. He bit his lip and looked away, trying to hide the redness that's spreading on his cheeks.

He turned around to throw the sweater into the hamper when suddenly, he felt a hand grip his left wrist, and in a swift motion, he found himself on top of Seungcheol’s cold, wet chest. Their chests bumped together with a loud thump. In shock, the younger one couldn’t move. His face was only a few inches away from his, and that made it worse. Their faces were so close together that he could already hear and feel his breathing as the air touched his skin. He could have moved away, but he didn’t. Despite being utterly confused at his own reaction, he knew he wanted to know what the older one’s going to do. Yoon Jeonghan's curiousity got the best of him once again.

Seungcheol’s eyes were closed. If he hadn't known better, Jeonghan would have thought that he fell asleep already. His face looked peaceful, but his rough breathing and his hand closed tightly around Jeonghan’s wrist told the latter that his mind wasn’t as peaceful as his face looked. After a minute of staying motionless on top of Seungcheol, Jeonghan could feel a hand crawling on his lower back. It travelled slowly up his back and rested on his nape. He froze as he felt Seungcheol’s hand massaging his nape then it moved up to play with his soft locks.

“Seungcheol,” he whispered, “what are you doing?”

The answer that he got was something he didn’t expect and was not at all prepared for.

In an instant, he felt soft, wet lips on his. His heart was beating wildly as he realized what was happening. That’s when Seungcheol started moving his lips, and much to the confusion of the younger one, he allowed him. He opened his lips, letting the other do more. Then Jeonghan found himself kissing him back. It was as if it was a natural response to a friend catching him off guard through making out with him. He didn’t know why he did it, but he didn’t want the other to stop either.

But everything’s bound to stop. Everything is bound to end.

Seungcheol opened his eyes, meeting Jeonghan’s. The latter couldn't read what his eyes were saying. Seungcheol gave him one last, soft peck on the lips, staring at him with his dark, beautiful eyes before breaking the kiss. What ensued after was the awkward silence. Only their heavy breathing can be heard in the still atmosphere. At one point, Jeonghan had held Seungcheol’s face in his hands, and they remained there as the older one looked into his eyes.

“Ch-cheol,” Jeonghan began. “I’m-“

“No, I’m sorry.” Seungcheol cut him off as he sat up, placing Jeonghan beside him, on top of the pile of plushies.

“Wait. That wasn’t-“ Jeonghan said, but Seungcheol cut him off again. Before he could say another word, the latter darted towards the bathroom across his room and hurled out all alcohol he drank that night—the alcohol that saved him from the stress the night with Doyoon brought.

Jeonghan followed him inside, and kneeled down to pat his back. He felt Seungcheol shiver under his touch but he let him continue. Seungcheol stayed there for an hour, his head almost dipping inside the toilet, and Jeonghan was going back and forth from the kitchen to get him water. They didn’t talk. Jeonghan thought it wasn’t the time to talk about it. Jeonghan thought they’d never even talk about it.

And he let it be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Congratulations on finishing this messy chapter. I did try to make it as comprehensible as I can but idk if I did good hehe Please do let me know what you think! Again, feedback (comments, suggestions, or violent reactions) are highly appreciated! I guess that's all for now hehe bye x


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